Screening calls natively in an IP multimedia subsystem network

Abstract

A system of a telecommunications network that uses IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network elements to screen inbound calls. A Media Resource Function (MRF) intercepts an inbound call and uses various techniques to screen the call. The MRF redirects the call to an interactive voice response (IVR) system, which prompts the caller to state the caller's name, records the caller's response, and relays it to the called subscriber, who can then decide to accept or reject the call. The system can present a random number challenge to the caller. The system can use machine learning analytics and a large language model (LLM) to analyze the response's contents, accepting the call only if it relates to a topic allowed by the subscriber, perform audio analysis to determine whether the caller sounds robotic, or detect whether the response contains other known robocall markers.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system of a telecommunications network comprising a Media Resource Function (MRF) configured as a network element disposed in the telecommunications network, the MRF including:
 at least one hardware processor; and   at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the MRF to:   intercept a first inbound call from a caller to a subscriber of the telecommunications network received at a Telephony Application Server (TAS) communicatively coupled to the MRF;   redirect the first inbound call to an interactive voice response (IVR) system,   wherein the IVR is configured to present a voice prompt to the caller to state a name of the caller, and   wherein the IVR is configured to create an audio recording of a response given by the caller to the voice prompt;   relay the audio recording to the subscriber of the telecommunications network;   cause the system to cause a device of the subscriber to present at least a first option to the subscriber of the telecommunications network to select a disposition for the first inbound call,   wherein the at least a first option presented to the subscriber includes an option to accept the first inbound call;   cause the system, upon the subscriber selecting the option to accept the first inbound call, to forward the first inbound call to the subscriber; and   cause the system to implement a machine learning (ML) analytics and large language model (LLM), the ML analytics and LLM being caused to:   upon receiving an eighth inbound call, conduct an audio fingerprinting analysis of an audio sample of a voice of the caller to:   determine whether the caller has a robotic tone,   determine whether a waveform of the audio sample matches a waveform of at least one audio sample of a robocall known to an operator of the telecommunications network, or   determine whether the audio sample matches at least one linguistic pattern of a fraudulent call known to the operator of the telecommunications network; and   wherein the system is caused, upon determining that the caller has a robotic tone, the eighth inbound call is a robocall, or the eighth inbound call is a fraudulent call, reject the eighth inbound call.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further caused to:
 upon receiving a second inbound call, cause the device of the subscriber to present at least a second option to the subscriber;
 wherein the at least a second option presented to the subscriber includes an option to reject the second inbound call; and 
 
 upon the subscriber selecting the option to reject the second inbound call, reject the second inbound call. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  further caused to:
 upon receiving a third inbound call, cause the device of the subscriber to present at least a third option to the subscriber,
 wherein the at least a third option presented to the subscriber includes an option to redirect the third inbound call to a voicemail system of the telecommunications network; and 
 
 upon the subscriber selecting the option to redirect the third inbound call to a voicemail system of the telecommunications network, forward the third inbound call to a voicemail system of the telecommunications network. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  further caused to:
 upon receiving a fourth inbound call, cause the IVR to prompt the caller to enter a number string comprising at least one randomized number; and 
 upon the IVR receiving a response consisting of a number string exactly matching the at least one randomized number, forward the fourth inbound call to the subscriber. 
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the MRF is caused to:
 redirect a fifth inbound call to a voicemail system of the telecommunications network.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  further caused to cause the ML analytics and LLM to:
 upon receiving a sixth inbound call, conduct an analysis of at least one word, at least one phrase, or at least one tonality of an audio sample; 
 determine whether the sixth inbound call is a spam call or a robocall based on the analysis; 
 wherein the IVR is configured to prompt the caller to state a purpose of the sixth inbound call; 
 analyze the purpose of the sixth inbound call stated by the caller; and 
 upon determination by the ML analytics and LLM that the sixth inbound call is a spam call or a robocall, reject the sixth inbound call. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  further caused to cause the ML analytics and LLM to:
 determine a topic of a seventh inbound call; 
 compare the determined topic of the seventh inbound call against a custom topic list comprising at least one allowable topic configured by the subscriber; and 
 upon determination by the system that the determined topic of the seventh inbound call does not match any topic in the custom topic list, reject the seventh inbound call. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  further caused to:
 upon receiving a ninth inbound call, cause the MRF to establish a three-way call between the caller, a voicemail system of the telecommunications network, and the subscriber,
 wherein the three-way call is configured to allow the subscriber to silently listen in real time, without notice to the caller, on a voicemail message being left by the caller for the subscriber, and 
 wherein the three-way call is further configured to allow the subscriber to interrupt the caller's voicemail message by accepting the ninth inbound call. 
 
 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  further caused to,
 receive an inbound video call,
 wherein the inbound video call is a Video over LTE (ViLTE) or Video over 5G New Radio (ViNR) call, 
 
 forward a live video preview feed of the caller to the subscriber; 
 cause a device of the subscriber to present to the subscriber an option to accept or reject the inbound video call; and 
 upon selection by the subscriber of an option to accept the inbound video call, terminate the live video preview feed and convert the inbound video call to a Voice over LTE (VOLTE) or Voice over 5G New Radio (VoNR) call. 
 
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions recorded thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one data processor of a system of a Media Resource Function (MRF) configured as a network element disposed in a telecommunications network, cause the system to:
 intercept a first inbound call from a caller to a subscriber of the telecommunications network received at a Telephony Application Server (TAS) communicatively coupled to the MRF;   redirect the first inbound call to an interactive voice response (IVR) system,   wherein the IVR is configured to present a voice prompt to the caller to state a name of the caller, and   wherein the IVR is configured to create an audio recording of a response given by the caller in response to the voice prompt;   relay the audio recording to the subscriber of the telecommunications network;   cause a device of the subscriber to present at least a first option to the subscriber to select a disposition for the first inbound call,   wherein the at least a first option presented to the subscriber includes an option to accept the first inbound call;   cause the telecommunications network, upon the subscriber selecting the option to accept the first inbound call, to forward the first inbound call to the subscriber; and   cause the system to implement a machine learning (ML) analytics and large language model (LLM), the ML analytics and LLM being caused to:   upon receiving an eighth inbound call, conduct an audio fingerprinting analysis of an audio sample of a voice of the caller to:   determine whether the caller has a robotic tone,   determine whether a waveform of the audio sample matches a waveform of at least one audio sample of a robocall known to an operator of the telecommunications network, or   determine whether the audio sample matches at least one linguistic pattern of a fraudulent call known to the operator of the telecommunications network; and   wherein the system is caused, upon determining that the caller has a robotic tone, the eighth inbound call is a robocall, or the eighth inbound call is a fraudulent call, reject the eighth inbound call.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the system is further caused to:
 upon receiving a second inbound call, cause the device of the subscriber to present at least a second option to the subscriber,
 wherein the at least a second option presented to the subscriber includes an option to reject the second inbound call, and 
   upon the subscriber selecting the option to reject the second inbound call, reject the second inbound call.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the system is further caused to:
 upon receiving a third inbound call, cause the device of the subscriber to present to the subscriber at least a third option to the subscriber,
 wherein the at least a third option presented to the subscriber includes an option to redirect the third inbound call to a voicemail system of the telecommunications network; and 
   upon the subscriber selecting the option to redirect the third inbound call to a voicemail system of the telecommunications network, forward the third inbound call to a voicemail system of the telecommunications network.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the system is further caused to:
 upon receiving a fourth inbound call, cause the IVR to prompt the caller to enter a number string comprising at least one randomized number; and   upon the IVR receiving a response consisting of a number string exactly matching the at least one randomized number, forward the fourth inbound call to the subscriber.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the system is further caused to:
 redirect a fifth inbound call to a voicemail system of the telecommunications network.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the system is further caused to:
 upon receiving a sixth inbound call, establish a three-way call between the caller, a voicemail system of the telecommunications network, and the subscriber,
 wherein the three-way call is configured to allow the subscriber to silently listen in real time, without notice to the caller, on a voicemail message being left by the caller for the subscriber, and 
 wherein the three-way call is further configured to allow the subscriber to interrupt the caller's voicemail message by accepting the sixth inbound call. 
   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the system is further caused to:
 receive an inbound video call,
 wherein the inbound video call is a Video over LTE (ViLTE) or Video over 5G New Radio (ViNR) call, 
   forward a live video preview feed of the caller to the subscriber,   present the subscriber with an option to accept or reject the inbound video call, and   upon selection by the subscriber of an option to accept the inbound video call, terminate the live video preview feed and convert the inbound video call to a Voice over LTE (VOLTE) or Voice over 5G New Radio (VoNR) call.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions recorded thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one data processor of a system of a telecommunications network, cause the system to implement a machine learning (ML) analytics and large language model (LLM), the ML analytics and LLM being caused to:
 upon a Media Resource Function (MRF) of the system intercepting a first inbound call from a caller to a subscriber of the telecommunications network received at a Telephony Application Server (TAS) communicatively coupled to the MRF and redirecting the first inbound call to an interactive voice response (IVR) system of the telecommunications network,   wherein the IVR is configured to prompt the caller to state a purpose of the first inbound call,   wherein the IVR is further configured to create an audio recording of a response given by the caller to the voice prompt,   wherein the MRF is configured to relay the audio recording to the subscriber of the telecommunications network,   wherein the MRF is further configured to cause a device of the subscriber to present at least a first option to the subscriber of the telecommunications network to select a disposition for a fourth inbound call,   wherein the at least a first option presented to the subscriber includes an option to accept the fourth inbound call, and   wherein the MRF is further configured to, upon the subscriber selecting the option to accept the fourth inbound call, to forward the fourth inbound call to the subscriber;   conduct an analysis of at least one word, at least one phrase, or at least one tonality of an audio sample of a response of the caller,   wherein conducting the analysis of the at least one word, at least one phrase, or at least one tonality of the audio sample further comprises conducting an audio fingerprinting analysis of the audio sample to:   determine whether the caller has a robotic tone,   determine whether a waveform of the audio sample matches a waveform of at least one audio sample of a robocall known to an operator of the telecommunications network, or   determine whether the audio sample matches at least one linguistic pattern of a fraudulent call known to the operator of the telecommunications network;   determine whether the first inbound call is a spam call or a robocall based on the analysis;   analyze a purpose of the first inbound call stated by the caller; and   upon determination by the ML analytics and LLM that the first inbound call is a spam call or a robocall, reject the first inbound call.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the ML analytics and LLM is further caused to:
 determine a topic of a second inbound call based on a response of the caller to at least one prompt from the IVR; and   compare the determined topic of the second inbound call against a custom topic list comprising at least one allowable topic configured by the subscriber, and
 wherein the system is caused to, upon determination by the ML analytics and LLM that the determined topic of the second inbound call does not match any topic in the custom topic list, reject the second inbound call. 
   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the system is further caused to
 upon receiving a third inbound call, the ML analytics and LLM is further caused to conduct an audio fingerprinting analysis of an audio sample of a voice of the caller to:
 determine whether the caller has a robotic tone; 
 determine whether a waveform of the audio sample matches a waveform of at least one audio sample of a robocall known to an operator of the telecommunications network; 
 determine whether the audio sample matches at least one linguistic pattern of a fraudulent call known to an operator of the telecommunications network; and
 wherein the system is caused to, upon determining that the caller has a robotic tone, the third inbound call is a robocall, or the third inbound call is a fraudulent call, reject the third inbound call.